D&D General What would your "fourth core rulebook" be?

[Voadam]

What I want is probably different from what should be. But I am selfish.

Since it would be a 4th "core" book, I'd feel weird if it were a purely DM facing book. I'm not sure it would work, but I'd like to see a book split into some player facing content and some DM facing content.

It would be some options for players (classes, subclasses, optional equipment, some tips/strategies, optional magic systems or psionics) and some for DM (more tips, monster building rules, more campaign worlds and options, other optional rules and advice).

Boring, but that's what I would want as a fourth core

I think it makes sense to make players only need one core book. Many have no books. A number have just the PH. Some go all in on every splat. Designing to require only the one for players seems like it makes things easier for typical D&D group dynamics.

I thought it was a good idea for say the 2e PH to have THACO and saves in the PH instead of hidden in the DMG like in 1e and for 4e players to not have to refer to the MM for shape shifting or summoning but have that mechanics info in the player powers themselves.

 

[Marandahir]

I am a huge proponent of the fourth core is the setting.

The reason is, 2024 is careful to avoid a "default setting". There is a default, in the sense that the same information in the 2014 core books is also in 2024 but it organizes differently. 2024 is easy to modify and replace.

From a worldbuilding perspective, 2024 is the best edition of D&D so far. It has lots of tools, tons of information ready for use, and all easily manageable.

This is why choosing a specific setting is necessary. Maybe via old school (and DMs Guide Greyhawk setting), one can use local adventures somewhat randomly, and see what setting emerges and evolves as a result. Even then, a DM needs to make some decisions about the world setting, for characters to get a sense of place in the world.

Because the 2024 leans setting neutral, one might expect the Monster Manual to lack flavor. But actually there is lots of tasty flavor. The monsters tend to lack "history", which they gain as part of a detailed setting. But the monsters do have "concept". The flavor is in their concept. For example, the Goblin is a Fey creature. The Goblin has a distinctive context and meaning as part of the multiversal setting. The Feywild is flavorful in concept. What the Goblin is, a Small creature that is obsessively excited or incompetently malevolent now situates within the magic and whimsy of the Feywild. The Goblin is a fun concept. Of course, this is how reallife fairy tales often portray "goblins". But 2024 can do this concept well. The Goblin has a remarkable amount of flavor even before the creature steps into the history of any particular world setting.

Analogously, many monsters of the Monster Manual heighten the flavor of the concept.

I just read (late to the party) that Adventurer's League is shifting gears to Legends of Greyhawk setting that is integrated with D&D Beyond rather than its own AL website. I know recent years of AL have opened up for play in the various annual campaign books as WELL as multiple seasons of Eberron and Ravenloft and a revisit to Dreams of the Red Wizards. But I'm pretty sure this is the replacement for those annual adventure paths that were published alongside and themed with the year's hardcover adventure book(s) set in the FR (and/or Baator, Feywild, Astral Sea, Outlands, Far Realm, and EVERYWHERE). This despite the previous statement in 2023 & 2024 that we were getting a Red Wizards hardcover adventure in 2025 (in 2023 when they announced the 2024 Core, they stated that Vecna was 2024 and Thay was 2025; this was still the plan as of last year but I haven't seen any mention of it recently). They have announced an untitled release for October - right after the new Starter Set and right before the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide and Campaign Guide. I wonder if they intend to do a hardcover collection of all of Dreams of the Red Wizards from D&D Next, including republishing Death in Thay, and also including the DotRW previously published by Adventurer's League from 2019-2022 when the AL finally seemed to retire making its own advetures.

That would mean updating and including:

1. (2013) The Sundering - Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle
2. (2014) The Sundering - Dreams of the Red Wizards: Scourge of the Sword Coast
3. (2014) The Sundering - Dreams of the Red Wizards: Dead in Thay
4. (2019) Dreams of the Red Wizards: Sea of Fallen Stars - DDAL-DRW01, DRW02; DDEP-DRW01; DDAL-DRW03
5. (2020) Dreams of the Red Wizards: Storm King's Descent - DDAL-DRW04, -DRW05, -DRW06
6. (2021) Dreams of the Red Wizards: Storm King's Descent - DDAL-DRW07; DDEP-DRW02; DDAL-DRW08
7. (2021) Dreams of the Red Wizards: Shadow Games - DDAL-DRW09, -DRW10, -DRW11, -DRW12, -DRW13
8. (2021) Dreams of the Red Wizards: The Cold Dark - DDAL-DRW-EP-03; DDAL-DRW14, -DRW15
9. (2022) Dreams of the Red Wizards: The Cold Dark - DDAL-DRW16, -DRW17, -DRW18
10. (2022) Dreams of the Red Wizards: Frozen Worlds - DDAL-DRW19; DDAL-DRW-EP-04; DDAL-DRW20
11. (2022) Dreams of the Red Wizards: Red Seeds - DDAL-DRW-INT-01, -INT-02, -INT-03, -INT-04

Of course, very unlikely that ALL of the above would be in such a book. But since 2022, AL has been "play past adventures, play DM's Guild adventurese that have been given AL codes, or play the published modules." So this Red Wizards book I highly doubt will be accompanied by a new Adventurer's League season for FR.

Instead, Greyhawk will get the Adventurer's League going forward. So I think we can assume that even while they publish FR material, Greyhawk is the assumed core rules setting for D&D 5e.2024. And it's built into the DM's Guide. So I don't think it's a 4th book. But maybe the Legends of Greyhawk adventures, when collected, could be called that?

 

[THEMNGMNT]

My fourth core rulebook would be everything you need to play D&D, all in one book.

$150 is a big barrier to entry. Getting that down to a single book could open up the hobby a lot.

What would be in it? 4-6 classes, 100 spells, 100 monsters, treasure, etc. And a digital download to a free 1-5 level campaign.

Interesting premise for a thread.

 

[Marandahir]

My fourth core rulebook would be everything you need to play D&D, all in one book.

$150 is a big barrier to entry. Getting that down to a single book could open up the hobby a lot.

What would be in it? 4-6 classes, 100 spells, 100 monsters, treasure, etc. And a digital download to a free 1-5 level campaign.

Interesting premise for a thread.

So the free basic rules and/or a starter set? Essentials Kit also works similarly for this!

 

[THEMNGMNT]

So the free basic rules and/or a starter set? Essentials Kit also works similarly for this!

A bit more like Rules Cyclopedia, I guess?

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

A book of optional rules like Unearthed Arcana would be my fourth core book. I like optional rules and really monkeying around with the mechanics of the game.

 

[Jim Cummins]

I think a book of cultural variations, since D&D is mostly fantasy Medieval European in outlook, and there have been many other rich cultural periods in human history, a book with class and sub class variations to encompass other cultural outlooks and aspects. These might be minor changes or completely new takes on the class system, and maybe a re-skinning of a few monsters to provide new flavour for the alternate cultural fantasy environments.
Or a book with a plethora of campaigns and adventure beginnings, with interesting NPC's, locations and plots options as suggestions of where and how to extend these beginnings, a sort of mix and match how to.. adventure.

 

[VHawkwinter]

If not something very close to the 3e FRCS, or a similar FRCS based on the structure of the PF1 Inner Sea World Guide - it would probably, like you, be an equivalent to Unearthed Arcana or Mongoose Games Designer's Companion (but you know, for current edition they're trying to sell). Something like Book of Strongholds and Dynasties focused on Fortresses and Mass-Combat Army Warfare would be my third pick.

 

[jdrakeh]

Palladium RPG Book 2: Old Ones. Yes, I know that it's not a D&D book by design, but it's chock full of great city, town, village and fort maps and write-ups that can be easily dropped into any fantasy RPG with very little work (including D&D). It has long been one of the best books in my DM's toolbox. If you need a location map in a hurry, this book is an awesome resource. And you can usually find used copies on eBay and such for a steal.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Didn't even have to think: Manual of the Planes.

I don't use most of 2024 (and almost certainly wouldn't like it if they made one for it), but that's my standard in any RPG. Whichever book they have that expands the setting to tell me all about the other worlds or dimensions in it is the book I want and need.

I know I'm pretty far off median on that, but that's always been one the parts I love the most about role-playing, exploring limitless fantastic worlds.